A popular community theatre company from Bradford has revealed that its current tour is likely to be its last.

Twisting Yarn, the education arm of Bradford Theatres, has faced an uncertain future since March last year when Bradford Council withdrew its base funding of £114,000.

The company was given a year-long reprieve when it secured funding under the Co-operative’s Green Energy for Schools programme to create a play and workshop based on environmental issues to tour schools across the country.

But Keith Robinson, artistic director of Twisting Yarn, said: “This tour will continue to the end of January but it was funded to tour nationally and has done little in Bradford.

“There is currently no funding from Bradford and I have been made redundant and Su, our administrator, has been shifted into another theatre department, so this tour is likely to be the last.

“Last year, we were able to use Co-operative money in place of the Twisting Yarn funding but, a bit like the Arts Council.

“All these organisations are happy to provide matching money but not to replace money that they think should come initially from the Council.”

Mr Robinson said everybody in the company had “run out of steam” after facing a constant battle and needing to justify everything year after year.

He said: “The only alternative is that we make the young people pay and I am not interested in that because it goes against my principles.

“It would turn us into an organisation that works only with the middle classes and those who can afford it and not an organisation open to all the young people of Bradford.”

Twisting Yarn provided thousands of Bradford schoolchildren with their first taste of theatre through performances and workshops in the district’s schools.

The company received widespread praise for its annual summer youth workshops, held in conjunction with the police, which examined tough issues such as the dangers of knife crime. Despite pressure from councillors and schoolchildren, including a 300-name petition, the Council has maintained that the cost of supporting the company is no longer sustainable.